Expensive for a 32GB drive. Too wide to avoid blocking a second USB port.

Bottom Line

At nearly double the cost of the most affordable 32GB drive, you'll pay a high premium for the SanDisk Extreme Cruzer Contour's packaged software and attractive design.

As the priciest 32GB USB flash drive we've tested, the 32GB SanDisk Extreme Cruzer Contour ($115 street) won't be the drive of choice for users on a tight budget. But if you use a flash drive on a regular basis, its attractive and practical design might be worth the extra cash. The retractable USB port means no worrying about lost caps, and the bundled carrying pouch may come in handy in the absence of a lanyard. Surprisingly, the Cruzer Contour is as slow as it is pricey, but its sleek design and bundled software and accessories help to make up for its lackluster performance.

Similar Products

The sliding USB port cover is the signature feature of the Contour, which measures 2.9 by 0.9 by 0.4 inches (HWD). The cover trades the potential hassle of a lost end cap for the potential hassle of blocking a second USB port with its added width, depending on the configuration of the computer. (In view of this, a USB extension cable would have been a welcome accessory, but one is not included.) Other 32GB drives such as the OCZ Rally2 ($80 street) are small enough to avoid blocking an adjacent USB port on any notebook. The Contour's USB plug retracts into the drive's casing when not in use. It takes an awkward sliding motion to extend the port, so Contour newbies may need to glance at the included instructional card to learn how to work the cover. The Contour ships with a soft protective sleeve that includes a small clip for attaching to a keychain or lanyard (not included).

Price and performance are two of the biggest factors to consider when you're choosing a basic USB flash drive. The Cruzer Contour is expensive at $3.59 per GB, but it isn't your run-of-the-mill bare-bones drive. SanDisk packages its flagship USB stick with the U3 LaunchPad software, which enables the user to run applications directly from the drive, so you'll always have the applications you need and won't leave any personal information behind on a public computer. If you're a current U3 user and can't live without it, then the Cruzer is the way to go. If not, PortableApps.com offers a free alternative to U3. See our recent article for more information on U3 and PortableApps.com.

Surprisingly, the 32GB Contour's performance was inferior to that of comparable drives, despite its high price and sleek, refined design. Our testing procedures for USB flash drives have been revised since the 4GB Cruzer Contour earned our Editors' Choice last year. Average speeds from flash drives reviewed this year have all been calculated using only the new testing procedure, which includes practical tests with a variety of file types and folder structures.

The Contour achieved an average write speed of 7.8 megabytes per second, besting only the 32GB Corsair Flash Survivor, which we previously reviewed but retested based on our practical data transfer tests with files ranging from HD movies to a folder with a variety of file types. The Survivor clocked an average write speed of 3.8 MBps. The other three 32GB drives we tested achieved faster average write speeds than the Contour, though the Kingston DataTraveler 150 and OCZ Rally2 achieved only nominally higher scores, tying with an 8.5-MBps average write speed. At 21 MBps, the Contour also lagged behind all but the Survivor (which clocked in at 20.5 MBps) on average read speed.

Last March, the 4GB SanDisk Cruzer Contour was our Editors' Choice, thanks to its attractive design, competitive pricing, high performance (relative to comparable drives at the time), and packaged software. Since early 2008, capacities have climbed, prices have dropped significantly, and a flash drive's size has become an even more significant factor with the rise of netbooks, because spare USB ports are often hard to come by. The Contour hasn't embraced all of these advancements, however. The design remains unchanged (if it's not broken, don't fix it, right?) as does the premium pricing.

The 32GB SanDisk Extreme Cruzer Contour may share a shell with last year's version, but the drive's capacity has increased eightfold over the 4GB Cruzer, which can now be had for $28 (street). The high-end 32GB model carries a premium compared with other 32GB drives, most of which offer better performance. If you can't stand to part with U3, then the 32GB Contour is a welcome upgrade, but if you don't even know what U3 is (no, it's not a U2 cover band), or don't care to use it, then check out our new Editors' Choice, the 32GB OCZ Rally2.

About the Author

Zach Honig began working at PC Magazine in October 2008 as the product reviews coordinator, after serving as an Olympic News Service reporter at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Zach came to PCMag from Popular Photography and American Photo, where he worked as an editor, product reviewer, and feature writer. He also had a brief stint as a profe... See Full Bio

SanDisk Extreme Cruzer Contour ...

SanDisk Extreme Cruzer Contour 32GB

Get Our Best Stories!

This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.